02/24/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 27(HSS)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating  to  flame  retardants  and  to  the                                                                    
     manufacture,   sale,  and   distribution  of   products                                                                    
     containing flame  retardants; relating to  a multistate                                                                    
     chemicals   clearinghouse;   and   providing   for   an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:06:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BILL WIELECHOWSKI,  read from  a sponsor  statement                                                                    
(copy  on file)  and introduced  SB 27.  He stated  that the                                                                    
bill  would  ban  the  use  polybrominated  fire  retardants                                                                    
(PBDEs)  from being  manufactured, distributed,  or sold  in                                                                    
the state  of Alaska; the  negative health effects  of these                                                                    
chemicals  had been  well documented,  and  their impact  on                                                                    
children was disproportionately high.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Alaskans   are   particularly  vulnerable   for   three                                                                    
     reasons: We  spend a  lot of  time indoors  with little                                                                    
     ventilation, increasing  our exposure to  and ingestion                                                                    
     of  the  microscopic  particles   of  toxins  found  in                                                                    
     household  dust that  are released  from our  furniture                                                                    
     and  electronics; we  eat  subsistence  foods that  may                                                                    
     concentrate  toxins; and  through  a  process known  as                                                                    
     global distillation,  toxins such as PBDEs  are carried                                                                    
     in the  atmosphere for great  distances from  points of                                                                    
     manufacture and concentrate in cold climates.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
He addressed  several concerns that  were raised  during the                                                                    
last hearing  on the  bill by  stating that  the legislation                                                                    
would not impact  fire safety and would  not exempt products                                                                    
from meeting  existing fire safety standards;  there was not                                                                    
a trade-off where the legislature  would be forced to decide                                                                    
between the "lesser  of two evils". He noted  that there had                                                                    
been concerns  that the bill  increased costs  to consumers,                                                                    
but  indicated that  this was  not true.  He explained  that                                                                    
similar  bans  had  been  adopted  in  the  European  Union,                                                                    
Illinois,  and Washington  and  that  affordability had  not                                                                    
been an issue  in those states. He  directed the committee's                                                                    
attention to a letter  from an Illinois Representative named                                                                    
Elaine Nekritz (copy  on file); it stated  that the Illinois                                                                    
Environmental    Protection   Agency    had   conducted    a                                                                    
comprehensive  study  to determine  if  there  were cost  or                                                                    
affordability  issues associated  with  the  state's ban  on                                                                    
PBDEs,   but   had   determined  that   there   were   none.                                                                    
Affordability issues did not exist  because there were large                                                                    
markets  that  had already  exempted  and  banned PBDEs.  He                                                                    
stated  that there  were many  companies that  did not  sell                                                                    
PBDEs and gave an example  that the prior summer Walmart had                                                                    
adopted  enhanced  testing on  products  to  insure that  no                                                                    
PBDEs were sold  in their stores. He shared that  he had not                                                                    
heard  anything from  his  constituents regarding  increased                                                                    
prices  in   consumer  grids  and  anticipated   that  other                                                                    
retailers  would  conform  easily  to  the  legislation.  He                                                                    
offered that the "simple truth"  was that PBDEs were largely                                                                    
being  manufactured abroad;  the  legislation would  protect                                                                    
American  jobs  and  the health  of  children  from  foreign                                                                    
companies  that  sold  products  with  toxic  chemicals.  He                                                                    
concluded  that the  bill had  widespread statewide  support                                                                    
from health officials and concerned citizens.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman discussed  a new zero fiscal  note from the                                                                    
Department of Health and Social  Services, a new zero fiscal                                                                    
note from the Department of  Public Safety, and a new fiscal                                                                    
impact   note   from   the   Department   of   Environmental                                                                    
Conservation for $139,000  in general funds for  a new full-                                                                    
time environmental program specialist.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:10:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Ellis MOVED to report  CSSB 27(HSS) out of committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:10:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 27(HSS) was REPORTED out  of committee with a "do pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and with  a new  zero fiscal  note from  the                                                                    
Department of Health and Social  Services, a new zero fiscal                                                                    
note from the Department of  Public Safety, and a new fiscal                                                                    
impact   note   from   the   Department   of   Environmental                                                                    
Conservation.